Safety-apron construction for rotating platforms



Dec. 30, 1924. 1,521,057

c. TREZONA SAFETY APRON CONSTRUCTION FOR ROTATING PLATFORMS Filed Jun e 4, 1924 I fizarlae f6 0 2 Patented Bee. 3%), i924.

CHARLES TREZONA, OF ELY, MINNESOTA.

SAFETY-APRON CONSTRUCTIGN FOB RGTATING ZLATFORMS.

Application filed June 4, 1924. Serial No. 717,717.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES TREzoNA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ely, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Apron Constructions for Rotating Platforms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention'relates to a new and improved safety apron contruction for rotating platforms and more particularly to aprons of this type adapted for use with locomotive cranes, steam shovels or the like.

In locomotive cranes or the like as usually constructed comprising a rotating platfrom carried by the fixed or car platform, the rotating platform carries the crane or shovel 'and its operating engine. When Working laterally of the car as is usually the case, the secondary platform is swung about its axis and a portion of the platform extends beyond the sides of the our platform. The secondary platform is usually rectangular in outline and when in the travelling position, the lateral edges of the rotating platform are located substantially in the plane of the edges of the fixed or car platform.

If the secondary platform be rotated from the right angle position to the position parallel to the fixed platform, it will be apparent that during this motion an acute angle will be formed between the edges of the moving and fixed platforms. This acute angle is dangerous to men and material since anything caught in the angle during the swinging movement will be sheared or crushed by the coaction of the two edges. A

further difliculty with the swinging platform is that it is likely to shear or crush material supported upon the car platform within its range of movement.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved safety apron construction adapted to be carried by'a moving platform and to prevent the formation of acute angles between the edge of the mov ing platform and an adjacent fixed platform.

of this character which are adapted to swing downwardly when the edges of the two platforms are in substantially the same plane.

It is also an object to provide a construction in which the aprons will engage the t is a further object to provide aprons vertical position by engagement with the fixed platform when the movable platform is swung from its parallel postion.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1' is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation of a locomotive crane with my apron applied thereto; I

Figure 2 is a plan viewof Figure 1 with the movable platform swung at an angle to the fixed platform; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section talren on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The car platform 11 is supported from wheels 12 upon the rails 13 in any usual manner which forms'no part of the present invention and has not been shown in detail. The movable platform 14 is supported above the fixed platform 11 and is pivoted about the vertical axis 15. This platform 14 as indicated supports the boiler 16 and crane operating mechanism 17.

When the movable platform 14 is swung to the travelling position the lateral edges 18 and 19 of the platform 14 are located approximately above the outer edges '20 and 21 of the platform 11. The aprons 532 and 23 are hung from the lateral edges of the-platform 14 by means of a plurality of hinges 24. As shown in detail in Figure 3 the body of the apron comprises the plate 25 and the rounded guard 26 is securedto-the lower edge of the plate. The lower edges of the aprons are curved upwardly at the ends as indicated at 2'! of Figure 1 so that they extend above the plane of the fixed or car platform 11.

An important feature of the invention lies in the'fact that the curve of the lower edge of the apronsis such that the angle 28 as shown in Figure 2 is never less than a right angle regardless of the position of the movable platform. It will be noted from Figure 2 that the aprons extend both forwardly and rearwardly of the pivot 15. This is important in aiding the aprons to rise readily upon the car platform 11 when the movable platform is rotated about its axis. V a a The apron construction involves no care in its operation, which is entirely automatic upon the rotation of the platform. When the rotating platform is swung to bring its lateral edges parallel with those of the car,

the aprons swing down by gravity to the vertical position. lhey thus do not extend beyond the allowed clearance limits for-the ea As the movable platform is rotated, the rounded front edge of the oneapron and rounded rear portion of the other apron engage the adjacent edges of the fixed platform 11 and the aprons are swung toward the horizontal and raised upon the platform 11. They sweep from the platform any materials in the path of movement without danger of crushing or shearing the material or of injury to the moving platform by the material. 7

Also due to the angle 28 being always equal to or greater than a. right angle there is no danger of shearing orcrushing between the edges of the moving and fixed platforms. V

. I claim:

1. A relatively fixed platform, a movable platform adapted to rotate about a point in the fixed platform, and aprons carried by the sides of the movable platform, the outer edge of such aprons being of such contour that the angles formed between the edges of the aprons and the edges of the fixed plati-form are equal to or greater than a right angle. a

2. A'relatively fixed platform, a movable platform adapted to rotate about a point in the fixed platform, and aprons pivotally hung from the sides of the movable plat-; form, the outer edge of such apronsbelng of such contour; that the angles formed between the edges of the aprons and the edges of the fixed platform are equalto or greater than a right angle. 3. A car platform,a second platform pivotal'ly supported upon the car platform and adapted during a portion of its range of .movement to extend beyond the oarplatform, and aprons carried by the edges of the.

1 pivoted platform, the contour of the outer edge of the aprons being such that when the movable platform extends beyond the car platform the angles formed between the edges of the aprons and the edges of the car platform are equal to or greater than a Y right angle.

4. A car platform, asecond platform pivotally supported upon the car platform and adapted during a portion of its range of movement to extend beyond the car platform.

form, and aprons pivotally hung from the edges of the pivoted platform, the contour of the outer edge of the aprons being such that whenthe movable platform extends be yond the car platform the angles formed between the edges of the aprons and the edges of the car platform are equal to or greater than'a right angle.

' 5. A car platform, a second platform pivotally supportedupon the car platform and adapted during a portion of its range of movement to extend beyond the car platform, hnd aprons pivotally hung from the edges of the pivoted platform, the contour of the outer edge of the aprons being such that when the movable platform extends beyond the car platform the angles formed bei tween the edges of the aprons and the edges of the car platform are equal to or greater than a right angle, the aprons hanging vertically from their pivots beside the edge of the car when the lateral edges of the movable platform are parallel to those of the car.

6. A car platform, a second platform pivotally supported upon the car platform and adapted during a portion of its range of movement to extend beyond the ear platform, and aprons carried by the edges of the pivoted platform, the aprons extending both forwardly and rearwardly of the axis of the second platform.

7. A car platform, a second platform pivotally supported upon the car platform and adapted durin a portion of its range of movement to extend beyond the car platform, and aprons carried by the edges of the pivoted platform, the aprons having rounded edges adapted to engage the car plot 8. A car platform, a second platform pivotally supported upon the car platform and adapted during a portion of its range of edges of thepivoted platform, the contour of the outer edge of the aprons being such that when the movable platform extends be yond the car platform the angles formed between the edges of the aprons and the edges of the car platform are equal to or greater than a right angle, the aprons hanging'vertically from their pivots beside the edge of the car whenthe lateral edges'of the movable platform are parallel to those of the ear, theaprons having rounded edges which engage the car platform and swing the aprons toward the horizontal as the second platform is rotated.

Signed at Ely, 'Minnesotmthis 23rd day of May, 1924.

. CHARLES TREZONA. 

